Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yosharon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yosharon’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; purple-colored ray florets; natural season flowering in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere; and good garden performance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yosharon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yosharon’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inforescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in January, 2000 in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number 97-L088, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Stacy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,852, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in October, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since January, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yosharon has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yosharon’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yosharon’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large decorative-type inflorescences with elongated         oblong-shaped ray florets.     -   5. Purple-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in mid-September in the Northern         Hemisphere.     -   7. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent, the selection identified as code number 97-L088, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller and more rounded         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one month         earlier than plants of the female parent selection.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Stacy, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Stacey         differed in inflorescence form as plants of the cultivar Stacy         had daisy-type inflorescences.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about ten days         earlier than plants of the cultivar Stacy.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Stacy         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar         Stacy had white and purple bi-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Debonair, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,324. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Debonair in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller and more rounded         than plants of the cultivar Debonair.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Debonair.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three days         earlier than plants of the cultivar Debonair.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Cupidores, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,919. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Cupidores in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more rounded than plants         of the cultivar Cupidores.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Cupidores.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Cupidores.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about five days         later than plants of the cultivar Cupidores.     -   5. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker in         color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Cupidores.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproduction of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yosharon’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Yosharon’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the late summer and fall in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July. During the production of the plants, plants were exposed to natural season photoperiodic conditions with day temperatures averaging 26° C. and night averaging 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yosharon. -   Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary             Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as             code number 97-L088, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Stacy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,852. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, year-round.—About four days at 21°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, year-round.—About ten to             twelve days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous             decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with             rounded crown. Stems initially upright, then outwardly             spreading. Freely branching with about 14 lateral branches             per plant. Moderately vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 28 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 14.5 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 4.9 cm. Width: About 3.8 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Palmately and deeply lobed; sinuses mostly             divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.             Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             More green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close             to 146A. Venation, lower surface: Close to 146A to 146B.             Petiole: Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and             ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum.             Inflorescences face mostly upright or outwardly.             Inflorescences hemispherical in shape. Freely flowering             habit; about twelve inflorescences develop per lateral             branch. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences not             fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             7 mm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): Close to 147A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.2 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.3 cm. Disc diameter: No disc florets observed.             Receptacle diameter: About 6 mm. Receptacle height: About             6.5 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 2.5 cm.             Corolla tube length: About 5 mm. Width: About 6.5 mm. Apex:             Emarginate. Margin: Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Surface: Initially concave, with development,             convex. Orientation: Initially upright, then perpendicular             to the peduncle to reflexed. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 205 in numerous whorls. Color: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: 77A. Fully opened, upper             surface: 77A to 77B; color becoming closer to 77B to 77C.             Fully opened, lower surface: 77C to 77D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 24. Length:             About 8 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Deltoid, elongated.             Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface:             Pubescent. Color, upper surface: More green than 147A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 147A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 4.25 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 6.25 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 9.1 cm.             Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 45°             from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Present on ray florets.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be have good gardem performance and to be tolerant to     rain, wind and temperatures ranging from 0 to greater than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yosharon’, as illustrated and described. 